Hi Heidi! Thanks for sharing notes, I never really know what other people do for training..
Yes, if you could save us a spot at Robie Park for camping near you that would be mcuh appreciated, since we won't get there till 1 or 2 pm, like we did last year.... that would be great. My husband and youngest daughter age 9 will be there with me with our truck and camper and horse trailer. My horse will be staying at my friend's house near Auburn till then. My friend Elaine Ruprecht will be Head Crew for me again this year, she has crewed it like 12 times....my hubby and daughter and some local friends will crew as well. Randy my husband will dirve the rigs and Elaine will do Robinson Flat and Randy will do Forest Hill. They can alwasy brings some stuff to you if you need more help...
thanks Mari, I might take you up on your offer to take my stuff to my crew at Robinson Flat. The Bauldrees offered to help me however, they are staying at Auburn and not going out to Robie and so I just need to send my things out with someone.
Dont' dilly dally at all.
Max said the same thing, said not to get lulled into the visiting at the gate/go's and to just get checked, give Ash time to eat a bit and then get out.
There was one part I think after the first true vet check where we cantered on a long dirt road for 1-2 miles...we got good time there. My mistake was jabbering along the way and not paying attention to time, taking too long at vet checks especially before doing teh canyons cuz I was scared of them.
I carry Dynamite HES, a high fat soybean/rice bran pellet...there is plenty of carrots, hay, alfalfa, etc, even horse energy bars last year, at the vet checks. One experienced rider told me to double the electrolyte dose at that first stop and go, after going up Squaw Valley. I think the hardest thing is that the 3 canyons are back to back in the heat...Getting off and running the downhill helps too...
I'm sure you clicked at the sections of the trail wtih maps and descriptions on the Tevis website, right?
Yep, and Max sent me topographical maps as well with other landmarks to watch for.
Also, did you read 10 feet Tall Still by Julie Suhr? She goes into a great description, detail3ed, or riding the whole Tevis Trail through the book.
I did read it, just haven't in awhile, should get it out again and take it with me to the ride, I like to have something to read anyway.
Also, there is video of the trail at the TEvis website..and tons and tons of photos of the trail...
I used a cool vest last year too, it was aweseom...wow, I never thought about getting one on ebay, good idea....now I remmeber you got your old one on ebay, I think it was bright yellow or neon green! :)
Yep, that's the one! My new one will have a collar so it should keep my neck cool as well as protecting from sunburn and it was $38.00, better than the vendors have, although I wouldn't mind having the ones that go inside your helmet too, might check our local welding/construction stores, I bet they carry them too!
I will email you after I ride the last 32 miles of the trail on Sunday and Monday to let you know that I thought of it. (Since I have never ridden it past Mile 70 except I did backtrack on 5 miles of the end of the trail before the ride last year).
I'd say overall, it's not as challenging as Renegade, but some parts are tougher, and it's the heat that gets ya...yes, be sure and electrolyte a lot...that's waht they tell me...often and a bit at a time...and make time when it's cool at he beginning. and YES, your horse will come back alive after the eveing coolness comes and they get lots to eat and rest at Forest Hil...it is FUN trotting through the town...though I did it at night when most pepole of the town had left already...at Forest Hill, one woman and I were the last ones to make the time cut off...so the sweep riders were right behind us. I lost time on the up canyons. ....
Can you give me your cell phone number so I can reach you down there? My cell is
206 786 8817, my husband Randy's cell is 206 730 9513....
mine is 360-798-6673 and my husbands is 360-624-7235, not sure when they'll be on.
This year, I sprinted hills about once or twice per week, one long one 9~.8 mi) , one short one 3-4 times (~.3 mi)...but mostly trotted out a lot...and walked a lot of steep hills the last month or so...and did the 25 at Renegade.
But again, like Denis said, it's not as hard as legend says....and its' very dusty the first 15 miles, so bring a handkerchief to wear over your face...it's also good for getting wet at water.
I also hear that many people ride the first 36 miles too fast and hard, and get eliminated at that first vet check I think it is...due to metabolic...a lot of people take it easy though...I never saw what the horses rode like at th efront.
If you know Krista Snyder or Gabrielle Mann very well, you could check in with those PNER women...they were in the 20s and compelted it on their first ride. Though Gabb'ys husband Wasch, his horse tied up I think at the 36 mile vet check. His first time doing that.
Isn't Gabrielle's last name Blakely? I wasn't sure if G. Mann was the same person or not on the youtube videos!
The one thing my horse freaked out a bit on last year was the swigning bridge, when another horse got on at the end while she was almost off it. she nearly ran me over...so if you can practice that if you have time, it might help, depending on how well your horse handles new things...Judy will know:)
Yeah, swinging bridge sounds like a "fun" new thing to try, huh? :)
I had so much adrenalin last year, I was buzzing the whole way....bring advil or a painkiller...it helps.
I'm excited, it will be fun! some parts are SO beautiful through the Wilderness Areas...wow. Are you doing to do Cougar Rock? I don't plan on it...Oh yeah, and don't look down on the steep parts! ;)
I likely will not do Cougar Rock, not worth the photo to me, Max said he passed up 8+ riders that were waiting to go up to get their photo. There will be lots of other cool pictures and I'd rather not risk my horse just for a picture. If it was the only way the trail went, that would be one thing, but since I have a choice, I will likely go around! I'm not really scared of heights, so that's probably a good thing! We have a few rides near us that I usually do on a regular basis that have narrow trails with steep dropoffs and soft edges and other than not letting my horse take those spots to stop and have his "trail buffet" they haven't seemed to bother us.
We did the 1500' climb last night, it had rained a couple days earlier and was a little slick, so I got off and tailed up for practice, got about 3/4 of the way and had to get back on, I see that my horse's biggest handicap may be his rider!! :)
Let's keep our fingers crossed for the fires to get under control and have the ride go as planned. I may not leave for Auburn until Sunday now, just to give management more time to decide what they are going to do. I really would hate to drive all that way just to have to turn around and come home!
heidi
warmly Mari
Quoting heidi larson :
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Hi Mari, yep, getting ready for the ride!!! I think we're pretty much prepared, at least as much as we can be! My training has been alot of hills, some sprint work, some just solid trotting and the week of Sunriver we rode a total of about 70 miles that week, the week of Klickitat we did 80 just on the weekend and did a little riding during the week, so maybe 90 total. We didn't compete at Sunriver, but I rode 25 miles on Friday evening, trotting pretty much the whole thing, hung glow sticks on the 13 mile loop on Sat. night, in just over 2 hours and pulled ribbons on the same loop on Sunday morning, going a bit faster. Here at home we have 1 mile hill with a 1500' elevation gain and the first time we tried to trot the whole thing. There are some bridges and a dangerous rocky/narrow spot so we walked that and he made it to within a couple hundred feet of the top. Rode it again on Sunday AM and except for the
bridges/narrow area he trotted the whole thing. Was breathing hard but recovered in less than 15 min. We're riding it again tonight, not so fast this time and after tonight we'll back off and just ride a little bit daily (or chase) to keep him moving and keep him loose!
I talked to the Summers and Dennis said he thought the ride wasn't as hard as he'd been told either, the heat and the downhill were the worst of it he said. I asked how it compared to the 50 at Renegade and he said the uphill at Renegade was worse in his opinion. That made me feel better. Ash tails "ok" and my plan is to get off as much as possible and try to make time where we can. I'm also used to letting him graze on the side of the trail, I doubt Tevis has much to eat along the way, so I'm taking alfalfa pellets to feed him on the downhill sections. He's a horse that needs to keep the tank as full as possible so that is the best I could think of. I started off thinking chopped hay, but it's so light I probably can't really pack enough to make much of a difference but the pelleted feed packs better and I think I can take about 10 lbs. between each 1 hour hold. And he needs extra calcium anyway as he's
thumped after 2 rides before. Gotta up his elytes too. My plan is to drive down on Friday the 11th, staying with Judy Houle and she's going to take me out on the last 15 miles twice since that's likely where it will be darkest and I want Ash to know where he's going. I've ordered a new cool vest for me (Ebay has great deals!! - only $38.00.) and my old one I'll take to put on Ash's neck. Getting new shoes with pads on the back on the 8th. He's never had pads before and we use the Ground Control shoes in front and they are pretty much a pad. I'm heading out to Robie park on Wed. Too bad you'll miss all us getting together, who will bring your gear/horse out? I can maybe save you a spot if you think you'll need it? Should be alot of us PNW riders huh? My husband is going to crew for me at Foresthill and to take the rig to the fairgrounds. Is there a way to hook up to electricity at
the fairgrounds? I've got a paddock reserved for Ash, I was told the stalls get really hot during the day and the covered paddocks at least get air flow. The Bauldrees (put on the Dust Devil ride) will be there officially crewing for someone else but they also offered to help be at Robinson Flat.  Max sent me topographical maps which gives me a bit more of an idea how things will go. I don't have the DVD and it's probably too late to get it now. I've heard there are quite a few areas that you can make pretty good time.........true? Also heard the uphill isn't so bad, but it's the downhill..........true? How about hay and food at stop/go's? Lots? I'm making alot of notes in my head and will have lists made out for vet checks and for Sam so that we have as much planned as possible. Getting the health cert/brand inspection tomorrow. Hoping the fires don't mess with things!
Good luck this year! I think it's going to be the year of the PNW riders!!!
heidi larson
Hi Heidi!
I just wanted to say hi and touch base! How are you doing and how is your horse? What type of training/rides have ![]() you been doing since Klickitat? I'm interested in sharing notes, cuz I'm still learning about how to do the longer 75 and 100 miles... We rode Renegade thsi weekend, my 9 YO daughter rode Chikita (my Tevis horse) and she got 3rd place among all the adults in the 25! We didn't know we were that close to the front when we finished...we just wanted to finish in time (since my other daughter and I got lost and did OT last year on tehe 25). I was 4th on my new less in shape Horse, Alakhazam, and my daughter's best friend got 5th on my older daughter's 23 YO horse!
I've mostly been walking hills the last few weeks with my horse, both riding on her and getting off and walking/tailing, as I read recently from a Tevis article in Arabian Magazine that is mostly what we do on the hills on Tevis (which in retrospect is true, there are I think about 25+?? miles of steep hill where we walked last year, in fact, i got off on the 3 canyons and tailed up and ran on foot downhill...I'm a max load for my 14 H horse so I gave her a break).
I drive down and arive in Auburn Sat, I'll ride the last 30 miles of the trail over 2 days, then I leave my horse there till I get back on July 18 (I have to go to Hawaii for a job leadng a whale research survey) so I'll miss the PNER dinner Thurs. I'll show up early afternoon Fri before Tevis. the pre-Tevis Robie Park thing and vendors is fun to watch and look!!!
So do you by chance have any tidbit pointers you've heard/learned you wanna share about Tevis?
You will do fine, you and your horse are so prepared with all your long distance rides you've done...I think you'll be surpised that its' not has hard as you imagined, that is what happened to me. I swear that half of the ability to finish is missing the rocks, I have never ridden a ride as rocky as Tevis. I mean BIG rocks, though I know you've heard all about it...did you see the video of Tevis ride that teh AERC office sells? I have the one in Japanese cuz I guess the best most recent footage was from that. No doubt it's hard, but since mentally I was preparing for harder, it didn't seem so bad.
Are you going to try Cougar Rock? I'll probably pass agian this year, I don't want ot risk any injury there...this year I bought my belt buckle ahead of time with the mentality that WE WILL FINISH THIS YEAR DAMMIT! :) and we will be happy healthy and sound all around...
I ended up not doing Sunriver at Mt Adams....too close to the Tevis which would have meant I coudln't do much training between the two rides. I opted to train instead.
Where are you staying during Tevis? When do you plan to leave after Tevis? maybe the PNER's can get together after Tevis if we are still around. Is your whole family going? My oldest daughter refuses to go, she thinks it's too dangerous and crazy but my 9 YO daughter is going with my husband and three good friends to crew for me...my youngest can't wait till she can ride Tevis!
good luck and see you soon!
Mari and Chikita
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